Title: Need You Now
Couple: Castle/Beckett
Rating: Everyone can read this.
Song: Need You Now, Lady Antebellum
** This takes place after Deep In Death but is a stand-alone story and isn't following any current episodes. I heard Need You Now and had to write this story! It came from a dream I had- but is now fleshed out into a full-fledged fanfic.
**
It was just after 2:30 in the morning, and Kate Beckett had lost count of the number of drinks she'd had. At this point, she didn't really care anymore. She'd stopped caring about two hours before.
She reflexively reached for the phone and dialed the number before she could stop herself. She needed to talk to him and she didn't care what time it was.
He answered his cell phone on the second ring. "Castle."
"Rick, it's me…Kate."
"Beckett? It's 2:30. Are you okay?"
"No, I'm not…honestly. I've had I don't know how many glasses of wine, then I switched to champagne and I can't tell the difference anymore. I don't care, either. I wasn't going to call you, but I had to. I didn't know what else to do."
"You don't sound drunk, Kate. Promise me one thing?"
"What's that?" she asked, curious.
"No more alcohol and stay right there. I'll be there as soon as I can, okay?"
"Okay, promise I won't drink anymore."
He disconnected the call and drove to her apartment, but not before leaving a note for Alexis. He didn't want her waking up with no explanation for his disappearance.
Once he got to Kate's apartment, he knocked on the door and waited. Less than five minutes later, she opened the door for him.
"Thank you," was the first thing she said. "I was having a war with myself on calling you or not. I went with my instinct and called anyway."
"You've been crying. Why didn't you say something?"
"I figured it was easier to wait until you got here. Then I could explain how I got myself in this mess."
"You hold your liquor well, Kate. I couldn't even tell you were drunk."
"You haven't seen anything, Rick. I get bold when I'm drunk…and I'm nearly there. I'm just giving you fair warning."
"I'll remember that." He smiled and waited for her to continue.
"Okay so you're wondering how I ended up like this. I don't usually do things like this but I didn't know what else to do. Not many people know this, but today's the anniversary of my mom's death. It never gets any easier to get through the day. I thought I was fine- I thought I'd handled it pretty well…well then I decided I wanted to forget and so I just started drinking…and then I ended up like this."
"It doesn't make the pain go away. Trust me, I know because I've tried it. Then you end up with a splitting headache and the same problems you had."
"I know. It was really stupid of me. I know better. I'm the responsible detective and I never do things like this."
"You called me – to stop you from doing anything else? Or to talk to you? Was it something else, Kate? What exactly did you need?" He was trying to gauge exactly why she'd called him.
"You want the bold answer? Here it comes…I need you and I want you, Rick."
"What?" He couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"You heard me."
"I won't take advantage of you. Not like this…I have too much respect for you and myself to do that."
"You could have any woman you wanted and when one throws herself at you, you turn her down?" She bit her lip and pouted.
"I won't do that to you, Kate. I'll do that when we both are sober and know what we want. You don't know what you're saying…and you certainly don't know what you want."
"I know exactly what I want and I'm looking at him." She walked toward him and started kissing him.
"I've thought about this…dreamt about this…well something similar to this…except you weren't drunk, Kate. I can't…won't take advantage of you. You'll thank me for this tomorrow, trust me."
It was then that he saw the unshed tears and how hurt she was. It wasn't because of him, it was because of what had happened to her mom.
"I just need someone to hold me," she whispered.
"That I can do and it's a promise." He sat beside her and then took her in his arms and held her.
She had buried her face in his shirt but now she looked up at him. "Thank you. I haven't had someone do this for me in quite a while. It feels nice."
"You're welcome. Any time."
"I like you doing it better than I did Will," she said quietly.
He didn't say anything, he just watched her.
"Have I left you speechless, Castle?" She smiled.
"I didn't want to say anything against Sorenson."
"You had such a contest with him and can't stand him, yet you won't speak badly about him now? That's not like you at all. Who are you and what have you done to the Castle I know?"
"This is me, I'm changing." He wanted to add 'because of you' but didn't.
"Don't tell me it's because of me. I don't buy it."
He sighed. So much for finishing his last thought, she'd beat him to it. "I'm not all playboy and looking for the next woman, Kate, and you should know that by now."
**
I'm a little drunk
And I need you now
**
After some time had passed, Kate was sleeping and Castle was holding her. He loved watching her sleep, and wouldn't have minded doing it for the rest of his life. Now wasn't the time to be asking her something like that when she was hurt and vulnerable. It wasn't fair to either one of them.
**
Around 7:30, Castle felt Beckett stir and smiled at her when she opened her eyes. "Morning," she said sleepily.
"Morning to you, too." He kissed her lightly on the lips.
She deepened the kiss and sighed. "My head is killing me."
"Congratulations, Beckett. That's your gift for getting drunk early this morning."
"Some gift. I'd settle for something else about now…like fifty Tylenol to stop the pain."
"I'll get you some if you tell me where they are at."
"Medicine cabinet, second shelf in the front."
He got up and went to get them and a glass of water. In short order, he had two in his hand and a glass of water. He handed them to her.
"Thanks." She sighed, dreading getting out of bed.
"You don't have to go to work today, you know."
"Yes, I do. Murder doesn't take the day off and neither can I. I do have a question though."
"Shoot."
"Can you drive me to the precinct?"
"Of course."